Rural Mentality
by shattered glass lilies
Summary: "Is it okay if I kiss you now Sas?" he inquires, not stopping to wait for my answer as he pressed his pink lips to my own.
1. Part 1

**Rural Mentality [1/4]**

**Pairing: Narusasu**

**Rating: T (will be changed to M next chapter, beware children!)  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own the series Naruto, or claim any rights to the characters. The plot of this, however, is my own.**

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><p>I first met Uzumaki Naruto when I was a mere seven years of age. He was sitting on one of those posts that supported the barbwire fence (the one that separated my family's property from whoever owned the chunk of land on the other side, not the one stopping the coyotes from scaring the dogs at night) when I was taking a leisurely stroll down my driveway. With those big, cerulean eyes of his, he had studied me intently while I passed, ignoring his presence completely. Him being there, it had admittedly peaked my interest as not a soul had lived in the old house on the other side of the fence since I could remember, but it was best I ignored him. It would save me a lot of trouble and a festering heart, at least, according to my past experiences.<p>

Fugaku and Mikoto- my parents- had both come from difficult backgrounds. My fathers' parents had been raging alcoholics who enjoyed beating him and his sibling over stupid things. He acted up in school, but they quit calling home after the first time grandfather had shown up and whipped off his belt on the spot. He supposedly had a half-brother who was mentally ill. He is never spoken about (he was born to grandfather and his first wife who he left a little before or during the time grandmother was pregnant with my uncle). According to what I've heard, he looks just like my father though.

Mikoto was in a similar situation, but her parents were divorced. She and her four other siblings were all left with their mother, who went through several terrible boyfriends. One in particular enjoyed stabbing knifes through the basement ceiling in an attempt to stab their feet. When they found their father, he was less-than-thrilled to have them about. Their step-mother was absolutely horrid to my mum in particular.

Both wished to escape from the madness of their households. Father decided to start his own company, first by digging up worms and selling them to the local bait shop. At fifteen, he purchased his first chainsaw and began to chop down trees for cash. It was not long after that he hired men many years his senior to help him bid on jobs of the land clearing sort. Mother moved out of her home with her oldest sister and never looked back after graduating high school. She picked up a job as a waitress to support herself.

As the story goes, my parents met while working in a bar for a second job. My mother dumped her tips into the garbage by accident, and my father dug it out for her. It wasn't romantic, per se, but it was enough to get them to hook up. Mother ended up pregnant with Itachi, and Fugaku and she got married two years later out of convenience. He worked everyday, from dawn til' dusk, while she stayed at home raising my elder sibling and doing payroll and other paperwork for fathers' company.

Through several good investments and many years of saving, my parents accumulated enough to build their dream home. It was to be located out in the middle of nowhere, dozens of miles away from the nearest town. The house (the abandoned one on the property Naruto happened to be at) closest to our own was half-a-mile away. The yard was enormous, and the building itself was three levels. It was constructed of wood Fugaku had cut and hundreds upon thousands of bricks purchased through a company in another state. Friends popped out of nowhere to aid in the construction process that took over a year. By the end, it had turned out much larger and more elaborate than originally planned. The expenses piled up, and they ended up owing quite a bit more money than originally planned.

I was born a year after the house was built, and we apparently- I was too young to truly remember anything- were living without much furniture. I had a crib, mattress, and a few blankets. My parents and brother lived with items from their old home, leaving many rooms in the house empty. The walls were left unpainted.

Although my father worked most of the time, I enjoyed spending time with him before I began grade school. He would often let me tag along him and his buddies while they went duck or deer hunting, as well as fishing. He even allowed me to train my own dog, a German Shorthair Pointer, which we took with on our endeavors.

Any and all people we came upon seemed charmed by me. They took a single glance at my pudgy cheeks and chocolate brown eyes and melted on the spot. My humor at the time attracted adults like Itachi did weasels (he has always had a strange obsession with the sly little creatures) and I found myself overconfident of my charisma.

I was beginning school soon; something most individuals my age would be nervous about. I, however, found myself at ease when the topic came up. My peers would be drawn to me, who could resist my never-ending charm and sweet temperament? Creating the bonds of friendship would obviously not be a challenge.

Boy, was I ever wrong.

You see, young children are easily influenced by their parents' views. If they complain about someone being rude, the child thinks that person is rude. If they say they are corrupted, the child thinks that person is corrupted and et cetera. Because of the vastness of my parents' home and property, I was subjected to bullying that was not even about me.

The first time I clambered on the bus was a rather cool autumn day. My mother had kissed my right cheek before shooing me from her SUV (she had given me a ride to the end of our monstrous driveway of having me leave half an hour early to walk it) and towards the large yellow thing. It smelled strongly of burning rubber as I approached. A gush of warm air pushed against my features as he door swung open, revealing a decrepit woman to be the driver. She gave me a smile as I climbed on board, and the bangs of my well-groomed onyx locks fell into my eyes due to the fan near the front. I returned my contortion of facial muscles shakily, and took the closest empty seat to the front.

The bus pulled away from my home and proceeded on its route. We picked up over a dozen more students, and despite most were my own age, none chose to sit by me. A few of the seats held three children, and although it made me feel a little left out (they were chatting away to each other excitedly) I attributed it to the idea that they had previously known each other. After all, if I were to be given a choice to sit near a stranger or somebody I previously knew, I would pick the individual I had met before. There had to be kids like me who I could befriend at school, the populace of my bus was just the black sheep of the herd.

I was incorrect in my assumption once again.

People avoided me like the plague during the day, and I could not figure out why for the life of me. At lunch I attempted to make conversation, but nobody bothered to respond. One girl in particular spilled soup she had brought all over her clothing, and I offered her my napkin to help clean it up. She had sneered and thrown folded paper product back at me, mumbling how she didn't need my stupid snooty material to rub off on her. At recess several older kids approached me and kept asking me how much money I had, how much my clothes had cost, why I didn't give them some cash. When I told them I didn't know and I had no money to give them, they seemed to become angry and called me a prissy princess and spoiled prick. Their names hurt my feelings, but I didn't have anything to say in response. I didn't understand why they were treating me in such a way and why nobody else seemed to have such a problem.

I was looking to the bus ride home that evening, as it marked the point in which I would be given a reverie from the cruel taunts and looks my peers seemed to enjoy shooting me. The silent treatment was better than being the subject of bullying, at least in my kindergarten mind. This break never came to be, however, as the elder children- some of which were the ones who had spoken to me during recess- stumbled up from the back of the bus and all crowded around me. They informed me that my father really hadn't gotten his money through hard work, but rather through illegal and immoral means. Their supposed leader, a sixth grader who went by the name of Kankurō, spun a horrifying tale in which my father disappeared each day not to cut down trees, but to sell narcotics on the streets. He apparently fucked a different woman every night, and truly my elder brother and I were only half-siblings, Mikoto not being either of our mothers. He had assassins who worked for him, and he would have them murder anyone for enough funds (they called this organization 'Root'). The only reason we lived in such a big home behind a large gate was to keep the people who wished death upon my father and his relatives out, while keeping my mother inside so that she would not run away and inform the police of his wrongdoings.

The situation they had sculpted was rather preposterous, but I couldn't think of any evidence to fight what they had proposed. I stayed silent as they jeered at me for the next twenty minuets. After mumbling for the elder driving to have a nice day, I felt warm tears that had been burning behind my eyes slip down the smooth features contours of my face. The tedious walk home down my drive was spent crying silently.

My mother was cooking tomato soup when I entered, and Itachi sat at the counter reading over some booklet he seemed to have received at school. She seemed rather cheerful at first, but her eyes seemed to fill with concern when my red and puffy eyes came into her line of vision. With a soft voice and cool hands, she brushed my thick hair back and questioned my as to how my day had been, why I had been crying. I had shaken my head and insisted my allergies had just been acting up once again (I wouldn't let her know that I was questioning our families morals and the foundation on which it had been constructed) and I was just in need of some medication.

My mother fussed over me for a few moments before moving to fetch some of my medication from the oak cabinet and a small bottle of water from the refrigerator. I could see Itachis' staring pointedly at me, wariness lacing his gaze. I chose to ignore it though and instead focused on swallowing the small capsule that had been placed in my small palm. Sent off to bed for a nap was I once I had taken a few swallows of the liquid in the clear container.

That night at dinner, father asked me how my first day of school had gone (after asking Itachi of course, who had responded with a curt 'fine'). I took a long drink of milk and quickly crafted a fake story about how I had made so many [fake] friends. I talked about our enthralling game of [fake] tag and how I was immediately accepted on the bus. Father seemed satisfied with this answer, as had mother, but Itachi gave me that unbelieving look from before. I avoided eye contact and instead slurped at my soup.

Later that night my older brother had cornered me in my room and gazed at me long and hard. He had this peculiar gleam in this eye, one that he knew would get me to cave and tell me the truth about what had occurred at school. I had bit my lip, but eventually explained after forcing him to promise not to tell father and mother. Apparently I had begun to cry because he had pulled me into a tight embrace and muttered 'foolish little brother.' I fell asleep in his arms and woke up tucked in my bed snugly.

Life at school didn't improve much during that horrid year of kindergarten. Kankurō and his friends backed off- I think Itachi may have spoken to them, as they seemed to cower like a kicked puppy whenever he came around the bus stop- luckily. Kids began to become interested with me, but only because they believed they could get some kind of expensive gift at their birthday party if I considered them my friend. Once in a while a new kid joined the class, and I would befriend them, but soon they would catch on to why everyone seemed rather distant towards me. It usually took less than a week for them to join the trend.

Sometimes I invited them over to stop my parents from asking questions, but all they ever wanted to do was play with things that I had and they didn't. If I asked if they wanted to toss around a football or play around my dog instead of screwing around on the newest gaming platform, they would just ignore me. Usually I ended up reading a book or taking a walk to stay out of their hair. If I was unwanted, then I wasn't going to stick around.

This was actually what I was doing when I first came upon Naruto. Three of my peers had shown up at my house the day after summer vacation had started, asking to swim in the large pool in my backyard. I had followed, excited to have somebody to play with as Itachi was with his friends at some amusement park, but the massive cold shoulder I was given by them caused me to back off. I didn't want to stay inside the house all day because it was a gorgeous day, so I opted for meandering down my drive.

As I said before, it was somewhat surprising to see that boy there. Choosing to ignore him, although I know I was curious and he seemed to be feeling the same, I continued on my path down the gravel road. There was a rather strong breeze, causing the weeds and grasses on either side of my path to brush against each other and rustle. The corn in the field, short green stalks shooting out of the earth and reaching towards the heavens, swayed gently, capturing my attention. Perhaps these factors were the reasons I did not hear the boy approach me.

He popped up in front of me, with hands clutched behind his back and dark eyes blazing brighter than the sun. I stumbled back a little at his sudden appearance, but quickly schooled my posture.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto," he had stated in a voice that was very strong and loud for someone of his stature, "and you are me are going ta' be best friends!"

I had stared blandly at him for a few moments. Who was this child, why had I never seen him before? Was this some kind of joke? "Hn, I doubt you would want to be friends with someone like me."

"Why wouldn't I? Is there somethin' wrong with you?" he questioned, wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes as he squinted (something I would learn to know meant he was in deep thought).

I shrugged, sticking my hands in the pockets of my beige shorts and turning my head to gaze out at the lake that lay past the field. "I don't think so, but apparently everyone else thinks there is."

"Really, I don't think there's anythin' wrong with ya," he responded, "your real pretty with those big eyes of yours, you don't seem dirty, and your personality seems decent enough. The only things I could think of to change would be that sadness that seems to come from every part of your body. Nobody deserves ta' be sad, everyone should be happy!"

I had stared at him long and hard, a light blush appearing on my cheek bones. Nobody my age had ever complimented me on such things, only friends of my parents and relatives. I couldn't comprehend the feeling that built in my stomach at his words, it was almost a…. fluttering.

"I dunno why, but seeing you sad makes me feel sad," the little menace had continued on "but I think I can make you happy if you give me the chance!"

From behind his back, Naruto pulled out a jumble of wildflowers. He obviously had retrieved them from his side of the driveway, as their roots were still attached, tangling around each other like a kitten would become ensnarled in yarn. Dirt dropped off in large clumps (it was almost impossible to snap the flowers off with bare hands; you needed to either cut them or yank the whole plant out) and I found myself speechless. The blond boy- I never mentioned, but his hair is like the most vibrate sunflower the world has ever known- stood determinedly, seeming to almost embarrassed by my lack of response. I couldn't tell if I felt like screaming at him for murdering the plants or hugging him to death. I had never met a more amazing and considerate person, and I honestly didn't know how to respond.

The awkward moments ticked by before I clutched the bouquet, bowing my head and mumbling a small 'thank you.' The bright oranges, dark blues, and ruby reds of the flowers seemed to burn my retinas as I gazed upon their natural beauty. The dirt caked on my hands that would usually bother me didn't even register in my head.

Naruto seemed pleased with my reaction as he folded his arms behind his head and gave me a wide grin. "I'm glad ya' like them. See, I picked those colors specifically. The blues match my eyes and your shirt, the oranges are my favorite color, and red is the color of your shoes. I mixed em' all together because I know you and me are going to be together forever! I can already tell!"

I smirked lightly, grabbing a hold of his hand with my own (the one that was not holding the flowers),

"Hun, idiot, come on. Prove to me you're worthy of the title of my best friend."

He seemed a little dumbstruck at my words, but quickly went along with what I was saying.

"Hey, by the way," he said as we walked down my driveway and towards my house, "what's your name?"

Naruto and I spent that day doing multiple activities, including him telling my supposed 'friends' just where they deserved to go for being such a jerk to me for so long. I was quite amused by his antics, and even more thrilled when he said he would be attending the same school as me the following year. His parents had inherited the abandoned house and the property around it when his grandfather had died a few months prior. As his mother had always wanted to have a horse and his father enjoyed the peace of the countryside, they all packed up and moved into the ancient home. It needed some work, but Naruto said it was all in good fun.

During that summer, Uzumaki Naruto tried his hardest to fill the position of being my best friend. We had our differences of course, as we were practically polar opposites, but in the end we always ended up making up. He never judged me for what I had, and I never judged him for being a ramen-obsessed imbecile. Naruto tried so hard to become my best friend, but his valiant effort was not needed. He had been awarded the spot, filled in the empty hole in my heart, that first time we met on that gravel road.

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><p><em>Tbc...<em>

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><p><strong>AN: I know I should me working on MoA or Mel. S or NI, but this idea wouldn't exit my mind! This will be a four shot with a possibly epilogue if anyone wants one.**

**I love chibi NaruSasu fluff! They are so cute! I also love protective!Itachi, although he didn't have a big part in this.**

**Reviews make the authoress happy~ If you enjoyed this I would LOVE you to drop me one! It may even sway me to update a little faster (no promises). Flames are accepted as is the usual policy!**


	2. Part 2

**Rural Mentality [2/4]**

**Pairing: NaruSasu**

**Rating: Still T (I decided to alter the plot a bit, so nothing M rated occurs until next chapter, unless there is an edit again)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the series Naruto, or claim any rights to the characters. The plot of this, however, is my own.**

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><p><em>'Once upon a time, there lived a little prince who went by the name of Sasuke. He was well known throughout the kingdom for his aristocratic looks and hard exterior. Girls (and even some boys) fell at his feet, wishing to become part of his life. They would do anything to be able to brag that they were the lover of Sasuke or a major part of his life. The boys who chased those girls were consumed with jealousy and were often cruel to the prince. Little did either group know the raven-haired boy was too busy chasing after someone he knew he would never be able to keep. A desire that left the little prince feeling empty and lonely.'<em>

_ "Naruto, why don't you understand?"_

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><p>At age twelve, I doubted Naruto and I could have been any closer. We were practically inseparable, bound by the hip, since that summer before the first grade. People had slowly stopped picking on me, choosing to instead just treat me with mild intolerance. This was, in part, due to the fact that Naruto would chase my bullies off with his big mouth and fists of fury.<p>

I remember one time in particular, my parents had requested I invite a friend over, as they both had to attend some sort of high school function with Itachi and did not want to leave me home alone. My idiotic best friend had been sick with some kind of stomach bug, so I had to settle for inviting over one of my other neighbors, Tenten. She had a tendency to be wicked, but I had known her since preschool and knew that she would at least leave me to my own devices if I were to let her into Itachis' room (most girls I knew at the time had the biggest crushes on my older brother and liked to come over and steal his underwear).

The brunet didn't show up until the rest of my family had taken a leave from the house. Informing her that I had already unlocked my brothers' chambers took only a few moments, and I turned on my heels to return to what I had been doing previously. My haste to retreat from her presence had not been one of my best plans, however, because I did not see her head in the direction opposite of the aforementioned bedroom.

It was a mere 15 minutes later, as I was beginning to press the keys to play one of my favorite melodies on the piano (while my brother was the more intelligent offspring, I tended to be more prodigious when it came to the arts) that I heard the smashing of glass coming from the direction of the kitchen. My face immediately paled to a tone several shades lighter than what it usually was and I found myself frozen in place. As of late, there had been a thick wall of tension building up between Fugaku and Mikoto. I wasn't sure why- perhaps it was due to the fact that they were beginning to realize they truly never loved each other- but it put both on edge, and you had to be careful when it came to your actions. One wrong move and they both went off like an active volcano (or like Itachi when you went digging through his mail orders of who-knows-what). Breaking anyone of his or her expensive items would surely get me in deep trouble.

I ejected myself from the leather bench and ran in the direction that the noise had come from. The rug under my feet scrunched up near the bend, something my parents despised, but that could easily be fixed later.

The situation was seemingly much less drastic than what I had anticipated (my mothers fine china crushed on the under Tenten's boot, windows shattered, and cupboards engulfed in flames), as there was a single dinner cracked in two on the beige marble floor. Sighing, I carefully plucked the item up and moved to throw it away, only to watch a second fall to its demise. Glancing upward, I saw my guest balancing precariously on the countertop and riffling through one of the oak cabinets.

"Wha-what are you doing? You need to get down from there before you break anything else or fall!" I had cried out, setting the fragments of the plates aside.

She just rolled her chocolate-brown eyes at me and lamely attempted to kick me away with her foot. "Ah, don't be such a baby Sasuke! I'm sure your parents can afford to buy new dinnerware!"

"That's not the point, you really shouldn't-" I started before she cut me off by pulling a small device out.

"Oh, what's this?" she questioned in her high-pitched voice. "A video camera? What fun I can have with this! Skiing, sledding…." She looked at me with a malicious grin "Shoving a certain brat in the lake."

I swallowed hard, steeling my features with the rage that ran through my veins. My mother had instructed me that I was to never, under any circumstances, use that camera. She had received it as a gift from her late sister, one who had passed away before I had even been born. If I were to be caught even looking at it wrong, there would be dire consequences.

"You can't use that," I stated lowly, pressing the palms of my hands onto the granite countertop and pushing myself to stand beside her. Tenten was a good foot taller than me, but I still managed to glare her down while swiping the device away from her fat digits. "It is not allowed."

The girl scowled at me, matching my gaze with her own. "Oh really? Well if I can't have it, neither can you!"

The camera was stolen back and held a little ways above my head, just high enough so that I could not reach it. I could see the large windows in the living room behind her (as it was connected to the kitchen and sectioned off only by a three-foot long counter and a switch from stone to carpeting) and watched as snow drifted down from the cloudy sky. The limbs of several tall oaks were coated with the substance, their leaves having abandoned them during the fall. It was a very tranquil scene for the conflict that was occurring indoors.

I growled deep in my throat, and began to childishly whine and jump for it. My pride would have to be set aside for now if I were ever come out of this unscathed. "Please, give it back, my mother will kill me if it ends up broken! Please Tenten, please? I will do anything you want, please?"

She seemed to ponder my offer for a moment, pressing the camera to her pink lips and contorting her body to a stereotypical 'thinking' pose. A wicked grin split her face in two once again, however, and she looked down upon me. "Nah, that's okay Sasuke. I think I can use this thingy here," she waggled the device around "and get you to do whatever I will anyways. Of your own volition too.

"How are you planning to do that?" I inquired, wary of her intentions.

Tenten chuckled, sounding rather devious, and jumped down from her position. "Ah, naïve little Uchiha boy, don't you know what anyone would do?"

I must have given her a confused look as she continued on. "It seems as if your parents have keep you rather sheltered from the cruelties of the world outside your estate. You see, there is this thing called blackmail and- well let us just say it is no good. If you really wish to know the word for word definition, I suggest you ask your brother; he seems to know as he used the tactic on Kankurō. Anyways, I am going to propose a choice for you; one, you can let me use this camera and do whatever I say, or two, I can break it up into little tiny pieces right in front of you. Your choice, rich boy."

Blackmail? Itachi? Itachi doing whatever blackmail entailed? All of this was new to me, and the fact that my mothers video camera was probably going to end up broken either way made me quite panicky. I began to chew on the inside of my mouth incessantly- a nervous habit I had developed- and could taste the coppery taste of blood after a few seconds.

"Well, what's it gonna' be?" Tenten asked once again, drumming her fingers against the silver device. She seemed to be getting impatient with my unresponsiveness as she popped the screen on the side out with a small _'click'_ and began to put pressure on it. "You better decide soon or else I will just make the decision for you."

I had never been the best at working under pressure, that was my siblings' forte, so her threats made me more indecisive if anything. There really was no way that this would end up going in my favor. If I agreed to let the female use it, it may even be in one piece when it was returned. Perhaps mother would go easier on me if that occurred; instead of having to shovel the driveway in a blizzard I could wash out the dog kennels for all of eternity...

Just as I was about to admit defeat to Tenten and give my consent to her using the camera, there was a flash of blond in the corner of my vision. It barreled into the room with a noise that was very similar to one that the cats would make when left outside when it rained, and crashed into the brunet girl.

"You stupid little crap, let go of me!" Tenten cried out as she tumbled to the floor, the blob clutching onto her as if its life depended on it. The silver device slipped from her hands as her body made its descent, skidding across the marble and halting a few feet away. Reaching her arm as far as possible, the female was only a few inches short of clutching onto the camera with her grubby hands. Not wishing to have to wrestle it back from her, I made haste and snatched it away (if I'm being honest, it took a large percentage of my will not to do a little victory dance in front of her and mock her for not being able to reach the damn thing).

At this point, I turned around to watch a very sickly looking Naruto attempt to strangle a much-larger Tenten- I never understood why she was so much larger than everyone else until someone told me she had entered school two years later than she should have.

"Listen here you big jerk," he had cried, smacking away her flailing arms away with one hand while holding her face to the floor with the other. "The only person who is allowed to screw with the bastard is I, and only I!"

There was a squawking noise as the blond grabbed a hold of both her hands and pinned them to the floor. "Now, I suggest you get the hell out of this house before I decide to do something more…. _drastic._"

Tenten glared icily at Naruto as he released her from his hold. His unusually dull cerulean eyes gazed back with just as much venom laced in their depths, his arms crosses and form rigid. She pushed herself off the floor, and made her way towards the entryway to the kitchen, shoving me aside along the way. Neither Naruto nor myself moved until we heard the front door slam shut.

"Idiot," I started, rotating my body so I was able to look at him with ease "what are you doing here? I though you were sick."

He scoffed at me, closing his eyes and turning his head away "I snuck out of my house because I had a feeling you were going to do something stupid, like invite some jerk over. Seems like I was right."

"Hn, whatever, I can take care of myself idiot. You don't need to protect me like I'm some damsel in distress," I snarled back, crossing my arms and snapping my eyes shut.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you bastardly princess," he responded huffily.

There was a short period of silence before I cracked open one eyelid to stare at Naruto. His usually exuberant personality seemed watered down, and he had dark bags under his eyes. His blond hair was, while not any messier than usual, greasy and face tinged with a hint of green. The idiot had probably snuck past his parents in order to run all the way over here and protect weak-and-frail me. While I didn't enjoy the fact that he felt like it was his duty to take care of me it was rather… flattering.

I felt a hot flush creep up my neck and come to rest on my cheek bones and ears. I was rather thankful that I had yet to get my ebony bangs trimmed yet, as they worked wonders in hiding my face.

"Ah, Naruto?" I questioned softly, closing my eye once again. There was a soft noise of acknowledgement a few seconds later, a signal for me to continue.

"I could have taken care of myself, but a-ah, thanks anyways."

This time, there was no reaction from the Uzumaki-Namikaze child (his mother had refused to give up her maiden name, so Naruto and his elder sibling Kurama used both their mothers' and fathers' last names as their own), and I felt traces of fear enter my mind. Perhaps my strange response had not been the best way to go, it was rather creepy. Did boys not act this way towards other boys, did thanking someone turn into some sort of admission of love? I may have harbored some sort of feeling in my gut for the idiot that did not count as brotherly, but I did not want to admit that now! Losing my only friend over something so stupid as a weird fluttering in my stomach whenever he brushed by, or accidentally touched my hand was not worth it.

Despite the dread building inside me, I turned back to face Naruto. He did not look disgusted or disturbed by my words. In fact, he looked rather preoccupied.

"Urgh, I wouldn't be thanking me yet, bastard," he groaned, one hand on his stomach, the other over his mouth. I gazed at him curiously, mildly confused by his actions when he suddenly began to cough.

Bile slipped through his trembling tan fingers and I subconsciously backed away. It was a little known fact, but I had a rather bad case of emetophobia due to several events earlier in my life (one being my grandmother choking up chunks of steak into the sink during dinner). As I watched the multicolored substance continue to drip from his jaw- he was obviously attempting to shield me from it by rotating his back towards my form- I decided to flee from the room. The idiot knew my house almost better than I did, so finding supplies to clean up his mess wouldn't be difficult.

It was an hour later that Naruto found me curled up under several layer of sheets and blankets on my bed. I attempted to pull away from him, but even sick he was the stronger of the two of us, so I ended up seated in front of him. He gave me an apologetic look- really I should have asked him how he was doing, but I was a selfish creature- and ran his hand through my thick tendrils of hair, an action that was obviously platonic and attempt to sooth my frayed nerves, but I found rather alluring. He smelled of synthetic oranges because of the cleaning solution he must have used to clean up his mess, and his usual hideously colored jacket had been removed to reveal a black t-shirt underneath. The situation as a whole was rather uncomfortable for a boy like myself who was confused about his feelings for his best friend.

"Hehehe bastard," Naruto muttered, withdrawing his hands to rub at the back of his own neck. The sudden removal of his hands caused my hair to stick up in several directions, so I attempted to smooth it down with my own. "I cleaned up most of my, uh, body fluids, but there was a slight issue."

I shot him a wary look, halting my own actions. "What do you mean by that?"

What he meant by that is that he had vomited all over my brothers' favorite hoodie (the one that each person in his little circle of friends owned, with red clouds sewn onto it. They called themselves the Akatsuki, although I wasn't really sure what being in that group entailed as they all seemed like weirdoes to me. Well, all accept my elder brother). He had apparently attempted to wash it, but there had still been a large brown stain. This, in turn, led him to believe bleach would work wonders on the article of clothing.

What used to be an almost menacing-looking red and black jacket had been faded to something along the lines of gray and pink. Itachi would not be appreciative of his efforts.

My blanched facial expression must have given him an idea of how much he had screwed up, because the idiot began to panic. Him and my brother had never gotten along particularly well- Itachi was rather suspicious of his motives and tended to be a little harsh to the blond- so doing anything to piss him off was a bad idea.

I took every possible solution into account before yanking on the collar of Narutos' shirt and explaining that we were to dispose of the evidence and play ourselves off an innocent. I returned my mothers' video camera to its' proper place and disposed of the broken plates before throwing the hoodie over my shoulder and heading outside.

The wind outside had picked up considerably from before, and it blew the intricate little snowflakes against my body. It stung my facial feature the most. Behind me, Naruto must have been having an even more painful experience, as he hadn't even slipped on a jacket or snow boots before making the trek to my home.

We clambered into a small dip in the land, only couple hundred yards from my home that seemed to be a safe haven from the howling storm. Dozens of differently sized trees surrounded the area. I found a Birch that was practically being enveloped by a wild blackberry bush and stuffed Itachis' jackets in between its' branches. It was doubtful he would ever find it here.

Glancing backwards towards Naruto, I found that he was shivering so hard that he was shaking any snow that fell on his form immediately off. It really wasn't fair that I was toasty warm while he was practically dying of hypothermia when he had been the one to ride over to my home and send Tenten away when I could not. With one final look down at my jacket, I undid the silver zipper and slipped it off, shoving it towards the idiot.

"Here, you need this more than I do," I stated, attempting to keep my voice level. I could feel the blush begin to creep up to my face once again.

"Wha- are you sure Sasuke?" the blond questioned, taking the jacket from my gloved hands but not yet slipping it on. "Won't your parents be angry with you?"

I shrugged in an attempt to seem nonchalant about the whole ordeal. "Mah, they won't find out. If they ask, I can just say that I left it at school by accident. Just like Itachi."

Naruto laughed boisterously, seeming to act a lot more like his usual, non-ill self. I couldn't help but smirk a bit as I turned away, moving to go back towards my house. His laughter made my heart flutter in a way that did not please me at all. Any one of the several strange actions my body took to doing when Naruto laughed his stupid laugh or grinned his stupid grin was not appreciated.

I found myself yanked in the opposite direction as to where I had been walking by a pair or freezing hands. The side of my face was smushed into a now jacket-covered chest.

"You're the best, bastard," Naruto sniffed dramatically, burying his face into the thick, raven locks on the top of my head. "I'm so glad we're best friends."

It felt like my face was on fire. This couldn't be normal, I had never seen two male friends so this before. People on T.V. those who were dating, were this close to each other, but not those who were just friends. What the hell was going on? Why did my stomach feel so strange?

The moment was broken by the headlights of my father's truck pulling down the driveway. From their position in their kennels, all three dogs began to bark at the vehicle. I could hear my father barking back at them in amusement and imaged my brother rolling his eyes from his position in the backseat, cell phone in hand. It seemed as if my parents and brother had returned.

The sun behind the blanket of clouds had begun to descend, shrouding the worlds (at least this part of it) in darkness. I shoved Naruto away and looked towards the ground in an attempt to hide my tomato-red face from his vision. "A-ah, I think you should go before your parents get worried. It's becoming dark out."

The blond gave me a grin that practically ripped his face into multiple pieces before jogging off, taking a separate path in order to avoid my parents. Over his shoulder he shouted that he would make sure to return the jacket during school the next day.

That day spent with Naruto had left me feeling more confused and upset than anything had before. After answering my family's plethora of questions, ('how was your time, honey?' Fine mother. 'Was that Naruto I saw heading down the driveway while I was feeding the dogs?' I do not know father, he was not here today. 'Little brother, do you know the whereabouts of my hoodie?' No Itachi, I do not have the slightest clue as to where it has gotten off to.) I had taken to my bed and slept the rest of the weekend away.

By the time my birthday rolled around the summer of that same year -July 23- I had come to the strangest realization.

"Hey, bastard, don't you think that new girl Ino is the prettiest thing?" Naruto questioned, picking at the weeds that we lied upon. We were situated near the place we had met years prior, on the side of the gravel road that was my driveway and across from his house. The burm (a large pile of excess dirt that had been deposited there by one of my fathers' friends in the grating business, figuring that weeds would grow upon it and we could use in for sledding in the winter) was located to our left, while an ocean of green corn stalks was to the right. Ducks and geese swam in the lake in the distance. I lay on my back while he had flopped down on his stomach, both of us crushing several wildflowers that now lay smashed beneath our forms.

I made a noise in the back of my throat in response, not agreeing nor disagreeing with his statement. Sure, she wasn't ugly by any means but her looks did not suit my taste either. I began to pick at a random piece of a leaf that had fallen across my pale hand (my complexion stayed porcelain-like no matter how long I stayed out in the sun; I would burn, turning to the color of a lobster, and return to a pasty tone directly afterwards. Becoming tan was not inscribed in my genes).

The blond sighed dreamily, cornflower-blue eyes gazing upwards towards the sky. "Those beautiful sky-blue eyes, radiant platinum hair, and fair, freckled skin…"

He spoke around a section of a weed in his mouth that looked similar to a piece of wheat. For some odd reason, he had always desired to chew on the stuff in order to look more like a farmer but rarely had a piece of wheat laying around. He used some sort of wild grass (I believe it is called wild rye or something; all I know is what it looks like) as a substitute.

"That's the woman I want to make my wife."

I coughed harshly, feeling a tickling sensation in the back of my throat. Damn allergies.

After a few moments of my relentless hacking, Naruto pushed himself up from his position and began to gently rub his calloused hands up and down my back. While such a thing usually aided in stopping the fit, this time my heart sped up and I felt my throat constrict even more. I shoved him away with one of my arms and buried my face in the crook of the other. This was for several reasons, the main one being the hide my face- mother had made me trim my bangs, so it was impossible to hide my face behind them any longer.

"Jeez, Sasuke, testy testy," Naruto grouched, falling back onto his toes and crouching. A sudden gust of wind caused his unbuttoned plaid shirt to blow away from his form and reveal a caramel-colored chest. I felt my coughing intensify at the sight and legitimately had to press my face onto the ground in order to have the fit come to a stop.

"Nah, princess, have you been taking you allergy medication?" the cerulean-eyed boy asked suspiciously as I sat up after several minutes. I nodded and blinked my own eyes a few times in an attempt to cease their watering. I ignored the nickname, as it had become common after the incident with Tenten. While I did not enjoy how feminine it made me sound, it was nice to think that he cared enough to give me a pet name (in truth, I bitched to him about it all the time at first, but had given up after he had shown signs of never stopping).

"I think they should put you on something new, because whatever your on now doesn't seem to be working very well," Naruto noted, picking a seed of some sort that had become lodged in my hair during my time on the ground out. "It never used to be this bad, did it?"

I shook my head in a negative fashion. As of late, they seemed to be becoming progressively worse, but nobody had been able to find the time to bring me to the doctors. As I hated acting like a needy child, I just went through tons of eye drops and tended to stay indoors when they became too bad.

I suppose there was also the fact that I had never been attract-

"Hey, Naru!" a female voice shouted. Both Naruto and I glanced around for a few seconds before our gazes landed on a woman leaning over a fence. She was waving her long limbs around as if there were no tomorrow and her almost crimson hair shone in the sun. She was donned in nothing but overalls and caked in layer upon layer of mud. Narutos' mother.

"Someone's here to see you hon! They were waiting outside quite a while before your dad or I noticed em' so ya' better hurry so you don't keep them waiting!" Her dark green eyes came upon me next, and she giggled loudly before saying anything. "By the way, happy birthday Sashuke!"

Growling lowly in my throat at her stupid nickname (everyone in the Uzumaki-Namikaze household believed it cute to give me a nickname; Minato called me Saucy and Kurama affectionately dubbed me Tachi-chibi, which I do not enjoy at all), I gave a curt nod in her direction before turning all my attention back to Naruto.

"Bastard, I better go see who that is," he stated, rising to his feet. I made a noise of acknowledgement, but refused to meet his gaze. He sighed and pulled my sitting form against his crotch in some sort of deformed hug.

"Don't be a stranger now, call me when you guys eat your birthday cake so I can come and pig out on it. Plus, I still gotta' give you your birthday present!"

He gave me a grin that I half-heartedly returned before letting me go and taking off towards his house. I didn't even flinch at the fact that my cheek had been laying against my best friends man bits. The flush that had previously been on my face hardly intensified, and I schooled my features into a stoic expression.

To my left, three wildflowers blew in the wind. Their colors- blue, orange, and scarlet- still seemed to be bright enough burn my retinas, but that truly did not matter any longer. Hardly anything mattered anymore.

July 23 marked the day that I truly understood that I was in love with my best friend.

I despised the idea. I wasn't about to sacrifice such an amazing friendship over something idiotic like love. All those memories the two of us had created, I didn't want them to have a negative correlation in my mind. I would just have to learn to ignore the feeling that made my palms sweat and my heart beat out of my chest.

I reached over and snapped the head of the orange wildflower off. It fell to the ground and lied still for a few seconds before tumbling down the gravel. The wind propelled it along almost the same path as the Uzumaki-Namikaze boy had taken.

I would keep Naruto and my friendship untainted, even if it meant letting him go.

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><p><strong><em>TBC...<em>**

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><p><strong>AN: This chapter ended up way longer than originally expected... This whole thing is going to end up longer than what I expected! When I started each chapter was only going to be 1,000 words long... This chapter obviously shatters that goal as it is longer than what the whole fic would have been combined!**

**Jeez, I don't know what happened in this chapter, it just kept going and going and going and then I feel like the ending was rushed! I am sorry if this is not the quality of the last one (not that it was so great last time, I really need to go fix those typos. Oh, woe is the authoress when her beta is away), I feel like it was a lot worse or different than what was expected.**

**Next part we probably have depressed!Sasuke. Poor boy, always so sad and confused. I guess I should just say that there** **is two possible endings I have for this thing, and I'm on the fence about which one to write. On one hand, we have where everything is happy for the last part and a half, and on the other we get a more... realistic scene. Both do end in NaruSasu, but the second is my preference.**

**After this thing is done, I'm pondering a new project. One about Chibi!NaruSasu adventures. Some in this universe, some in another. Would anyone be interested in such a thing?  
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**ANYWAYS, MY GOSH I LOVE YOU ALL! 13 REVIEWS? That is absolutely amazing! I expected for this whole thing to total in at about 13! You guys are are so amazing! 18 Put it in their favorites and 28 on their alerts list! I am so ecstatic! It honestly made my week.**

**Seriously, virtual cookies for you all. Even those who just took the time to read are spectacular. If you would not mind and have the time, please drop me a review? They really do encourage me to update faster (I apologize if that sounds shallow, it isn't meant to be, just honest)!  
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**Now to my reviewers (skip this if you wish):**

**X: Thank you so very much for the compliment! I'm sorry this isn't really chibi fluff anymore, it's more like prepubescent boy drama/angst now!**

**Emerald Time: This will be NaruSasu Yaoi (I'm on the minority seme!Naruto side of things, but that won't really matter until the end. In honestly, I imagine them switching if their relationship was to be healthy XD). I hope this update is okay!**

**Newbie Writer Girl: I hope you will still enjoy this even though it isn't as chibi anymore! I also wish that you will enjoy this update!**

**Pluma Desatada: I love those random fics you stumble upon and end up loving! Thank you for the review!**

**MattelUni: Thank you! I hope this update didn't keep you waiting too long (I became rather distracted with Generation when it came out, so that ceased the process for a little while).**

**kontraordinaer: Haha thank you! I hope the chibi-less-ness is okay!**

**RyanTyler2294: One update, coming right up!**

**whointheworldwouldbelievethat: I do hope this pleases!**

**Mizuki hikari: Hahaha thank you!**

**mochiusagi: I adore chibi fluff too! Hopefully the lack of it in this won't turn you away from the story!**

**Nivell: Haha, thank you very much! Some of this stuff was actually based off real life events that happened to myself and people I know. I hope you continue to read and enjoy, despite the fact that they aren't so tiny anymore!**

**Someone: Thank you very much! Do not worry, the love-at-first-sight thing is (hopefully) cleared up a little in this. As it is in the perspective of Saucy, it tends to be a little skewed. Naruto is just a really sweet kid and Sasuke is in love with him at first sight!**

**LovelessAddiction: I'm glade you enjoyed it! I love chibi! fluff myself!**

_P.S. Sorry that this authors note is so long! Oh, and last weeks Naruto chapter was amazing, Sasuke is less evil and Itachi is a cool cat as usual! I love the Uchihas! Generations is a pretty sick game too!  
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	3. Part 3

**Rural Mentality [3/4]**

**Pairing: NaruSasu (somewhat NejiSasu this chapter)**

**Rating: M :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the series Naruto, or claim any rights to the characters. The plot of this, however, is my own.**

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><p>I was seventeen when Naruto and I stopped spending time together everyday.<p>

Since the beginning of freshman year, the blond had been wrapped up in different activities throughout the year. In the autumn, there was football, winter, hockey, spring, lacrosse. The summer was spent with the plethora of friends he had found in middle school (I had slowly began to make excuses as to why I could not spend everyday with him after my 13th birthday) or horseback riding with his mother. Every afternoon was spent in the weight training room at school. He tried his hardest to spend at least part of a day with me every week, but sometimes it was impossible.

His charisma and attractiveness caused females to fall at his feet. One look into those gorgeous cornflower blue eyes or a small raise of the eyebrows had them swooning. Guys thought he was cool because of his sports skill and the ability to grow stubble on his face starting at age 14.

I am quite doubtful he noticed us grow apart (how could one when you have twenty other people all vying for your attention), because he still acted like we were best friends. If I passed in the hall, he would go out of his way to say hello. Although he was able to sit by those who were considered 'popular' during assemblies, he chose to come over and sit by me in some dank corner instead- the actions made my heart beat fast in my chest, but then I remembered everything he did was platonic. Although flattering, I soon realized the nasty looks his friends shot us. They could not fathom the reason he would choose to hang out with the spoiled rich kid, and were judging Naruto because of it. I had decided to take matters into my own hands, beginning to skip the assemblies and take the longer routes to my classes in an attempt to avoid a confrontation.

Of course, this made my existence rather lonely. With Itachi having moved out of the house (he was attending college in another state), my father constantly at work, and my mother either visiting relatives or claiming that she needed 'me time' I was by myself quite a lot. Despite the fact that I was apparently attractive, there was still a lack of people who wished to befriend me. They had come to the realization, I believe, that there wasn't anything in particular that was wrong with me, but old habits die hard, especially so in a such a rural setting.

As there was not much of cycle of people who moved in and out, or traveled to different places, new ideas were very rarely introduced. There was even a lesser chance of them being accepted. One such example would be relationships between people of the same sex. It was no shock that the majority of people in my small town were homophobic, despite the fact that it was beginning to be less of a taboo all around the country. Guys and girls alike in my school were targeted for bullying due to being pinned as gay, even if they were not. My brother for one, even after my parents sent him to a private academy in the city, used to receive messages from the children at the public high school saying 'we know you're a faggot, but its okay, we will still be your friend.' He -being the kind of person he is- really did not mind and just blew it off, but he found it intolerable nonetheless. After all, how could he just blow off an issue that pertained to his little brother?

Itachi found out my sexual orientation his senior year, around Christmas time. He had received some case study for one of his classes that had to do with similarities between family members (it sounded fabricated to me, but one should never argue with my sibling if you hoped to live another day). Snooping through my belongings while I was out shopping out mother, he stumbled upon as suspicious looking shoebox under my bed. Figuring he could be devious and needle me for what he believed was females' in sexual positions, he lifted the cover while cackling in a malicious manner (I assume, as this would be a very Itachi-esque thing to do). Imagine his surprise to find the image of a brunet taking it up the ass from a large blond man when the contents of the box were revealed.

I cannot express in words the feeling of utter mortification and terror I felt churning in my gut when Itachi said he needed to speak to me in my room and pointed to the box resting on my bed. I am sure my facial tone fluctuated between the darkest vermillion to the palest white several time before I could even comprehend what was going on.

"B-brother i-it's not what it looks like," I had managed to stutter out, leaning against the stained oak door of my bedroom.

My sibling had not moved from his cross-legged position on my bed and just raised a single delicate eyebrow at my response. "Oh, well then, what is it?"

"Um, ah…." I had tried, no formulated response entering my head. I had never expected to be confronted about the subject, thinking it was just a phase I would grow out of, spawned out of my strange attraction to my best friend (I know now that wasn't the case).

"Sasuke," Itachi started, looking my straight in my eyes "are you gay?"

My body felt paralyzed. Itachi wasn't supposed to find that box; he probably found me revolting now. My one safe haven from the cruel world outside my home was gone now, all due to some stupid desire deep in my chest.

Fuck.

I hung my head, letting my inky bangs fall over my eyes before giving a small 'yes.' I could feel the angry tears burning at the back of my dark eyes, and shut my eyelids in an attempt to hold them back. I was such a weakling, crying over something so pathetic. If my grandfather were to be here, he would smack me outside the head and demand I stop acting like such a girl.

Itachi must had moved off of my bed, because when I got a glimpse of the piece of furniture through my veil of hair, he was no longer there. Warm arms wrapped around my upper body a few seconds later, and I was pulled to my brothers dress-shirt clad chest.

"It's okay Sasuke," he murmured into my ear whilst stroking my back "my view of you will not change because of this, shh. You will always just be my darling baby brother."

I gnawed at the inside of my cheek, attempting to put my emotions back into check. Being so open about feelings was not a characteristic of Uchiha men, and I was already the most expressive of them. The coppery taste of blood was coasting my taste buds as I attempted to press my face farther into my brother chest.

We stayed in that position for a few minutes, until my mother called us for dinner. Itachi pushed my form away from his own lightly, wiping at my flushed cheeks with his thumbs as if he were checking for moisture.

"I suggest you go wash your face before heading to the kitchen, it will give you an excuse as to why your face is so red," he stated in his low voice, hand resting on the brass doorknob. "If you ever desire to speak with someone about such…things," he continued, motioning to the box on the bed "I am here to support you, although I am not very educated on the way it works between two men. I do, however, have a few friend who share your orientation if you have any questions that I am unable to answer."

I nodded at him dumbly, blinking my eyes in rapid succession and then rubbing at them with my palms. There was a poke on my forehead and I tilted my head back up to glare at him.

Itachi gave me a weak smile, and gracefully opened the door to my bedroom with the intention to exit. Before leaving, however, he turned back to look at me once again.

"Mm, Sasuke, I suggest you keep your orientation hidden from father. You know how he gets."

My father had to be one of, if not the biggest homophobe in town. While he did not partake in picking on those who were branded as gay physically or in front of the individual, it was not uncommon for him to trash them when his buddies were around. They would all sit at the bar in the game room **[1]** of our house, beer in hand, and make cruel jokes about the latest faggot or dyke. Mockery was not uncommon either. Once in awhile, they would attempt to get me involved, but I would always make an excuse that I was feeling ill or had to study for some kind of test. If that were not possible, I would just bow my head and stare into my drink.

Nobody suspected I was gay.

Half way through my junior year, a new boy, Neji, moved into the town. His family, not unlike my own, was rather wealthy and people seemed to discriminate due to this fact. One day during lunch, he approached me- the only other person sitting by themselves- and struck up a conversation. We hit off right away, surprisingly enough, and became quite close in a matter of weeks.

Over that years' spring break, he spent the night at my house for the first time (usually I was always over at his, as his parents were home far less than even my own). I had wandered off to fetch us some soda and alcohol to create drinks and left him in my room for a few minutes. Upon returning, I found him rummaging through the infamous shoebox of male pornography under my bed.

I froze in the doorway, a liter of pop in my right hand, a bottle of vodka in the left, and red plastic cups balanced precariously under my arm. Neji seemed to be carelessly flipping through one of the magazines, laying down on my comforter and head being supported by one of his hands.

"Mm, Sasuke, your gay?" he questioned nonchalantly, not even looking up at me.

I awkwardly cleared my throat and set the bottles on my mahogany desk near the door (my room was extremely small for such a huge house). The cups clattered almost silently to the floor, they're landing muffled by the plush carpet while I fidgeted in place. "Uh, yeah."

I played with the frayed edge of my t-shirt, attempting to concentrate on the pattern of my pajama pants instead of the look on my friends face. Another relationship sacrificed due to my homosexual yearnings, how fabulous.

"That's pretty cool," Neji replied, still not paying much attention to me. My head snapped up and I found myself shocked by his unexpected response.

A few moments elapsed; the only sound filling the air was the flipping of magazine pages. He finally looked up after finishing the paper booklet, his faded, almost lilac blue-gray eyes meeting my own. The corners of his light pink lips turned up in a small smile and he said "I'm bi."

That night, after dozens of rounds of the drinking game 'I've never' I let Neji take my virginity. The experience was not exactly pleasurable, but in a good sort of way. The mixture of pain- which the Hyuuga explained would fade away the more the muscles in my rear were stretched- and pleasure were unique to the activity, but I was not sure I enjoyed. Neji was rather rough, and my ass was rather sore when I woke up the next morning.

He insisted that we become an item, and I did not protest. The chance of being in a relationship with someone I was attracted to (a male) in my hick town was slim to none, so I was not about to turn down the opportunity. The fact that it was somebody that was so similar to myself and I enjoyed being around only added to the deal. Neji made my heart race in a way that I had always tried to ignore, and being able to actually let it flutter without having to hold back was great.

The Hyuuga boy and I had sex in every place imaginable in my home over break. The kitchen, the gym, the trampoline, his car, even in the dog kennels, they were all subject to our lust. Life could not have gotten any better, and I doubted anything could put a damper on my good mood.

That is, until Naruto showed up at my front door.

My cell phone had died halfway during the second day Neji was at my home, and I had been too busy with him to bother plugging it in. I had forgotten all about Narutos' proclamation the last day before the break that the two of us would spend at least half of it together. When he texted me- before Neji anyways- I would respond almost immediately. My lack of reply must have planted some form of worry deep in his gut and after a week of not hearing from me it must have burgeoned.

"Ah, bastard, you aren't dead!" Naruto had practically cried as I yanked open the door. His arms immediately wrapped around my abdomen and I felt myself being pressed up against a well-toned chest.

The familiar (and admittedly, alluring) scent of oranges and ramen attacked my nostrils almost immediately, and I felt a dizzying sort of feeling come over me. It was, although unwelcome, pleasant and screamed Naruto. It made my stomach churn almost more than when Neji sent me his smoldering gaze- which was oh-so wrong as the Hyuuga was my boyfriend whom I was suppose to love above all others- and cause me to feel uncomfortable in my own skin.

"Of course I am idiot," I snarled back, unwrapping his arms from around my body and stepping back. "What did you expect?"

The blond rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and looked down at the gray and red pavers of my porch that were beneath his feet. "Ah, I don't know, you just didn't respond to my messages, a-and you usually do so I figured something was up."

I was about to make another snarky response when I got a glimpse of the concern that was laced in the cores of his cerulean eyes. As was usual, Naruto was concerned for my wellbeing and I was being an asshole towards him. A pang of guilt shot through my veins and I sighed softly before replying.

"Look, Naruto, my phone just died and I didn't get around to plugging it in. Nothing bad happened to me, see?" I stated, and spun around in a slow circle. I prayed that he would not spot any of the hickies that adorned my neck.

The Uzumaki-Namikaze fixed me with a hesitant look before rifling around in the pocket of his neon orange sweatshirt. He pulled his hand back out a few seconds later, having retrieved a small black box and a tangle of wires. He grabbed one of my hands (enveloping it in his own, much larger one) and pressed the item into my palm.

"Na, in case you lost yours, you can use my phone charger to charge your cell," the blue-eyes male stated, giving me a large grin.

I felt the butterflies in my stomach begin to flutter in a whirlwind so strong, I felt nauseous. This was not supposed to happen. Naruto was my best friend, the guy who deserved to have my full attention whenever he needed it, but not these stupid feelings of love. Neji was my boyfriend, the one who deserved the flipping of my tummy and my full adoration. The situation was messed up.

Naruto was scuffing his tennis shoes on the ground and glancing over towards the dogs, who were all barking at some squirrel from their kennels. "So, princess, now that I'm here do you wanna' do something or what?"

I bit the inside of my lip. Neji and I had been together all week, and I knew the blond would be disappointed if I said no, but I was trying to cut off the bonds of our friendship. Plus, the Hyuuga had promised lovemaking rather than just fucking later today, something I was greatly looking forward to (perhaps I did act like a girl at times as my grandfather said, because feelings in a relationship were important to me).

Suddenly Naruto stiffened in front of me. His eyes narrowed and lips thinned to a line. "Neji," he stated in a voice that was less than amiable.

From behind me, the aforementioned boy stepped out, clad in a loose dress shirt and black slacks (the last time I had seen him, he had been nude). "Ah, why if it isn't Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. What a pleasure to see you outside of school! "

The blond gave him a short nod, eyes lingering on the close proximity of the brunet and myself. I suppose he found it rather unusual as people did not commonly stand as close to me as he was.

"Is there a particular reason you have sought out Sasuke here?" the Hyuuga continued on, his tone dripping with a phony sort of friendliness. I was not sure why, but there was tension between him and Naruto that made the conversation extremely uncomfortable.

"Not one that you should concern yourself with," the blond muttered, stepping back a few feet. "Sasuke, can I speak with you outside for a few minutes?"

I glanced back at Neji, who had a fabricated look of contentment on his face, before nodding to Naruto and stepping outside.

"Sasuke, I will be in the living room when you are done with Naruto." There was a pause. "Oh, and Uzumaki, the correct word to use in that context would have been _may_ I, not _can_ I."

The large wooden door closed with a squeak. Naruto had such rage building up behind his azure eyes that it was almost scary.

"Bastard, why would you hang out with someone like _him_?" he practically seethed, fists clenched tightly at his sides.

I shrugged my shoulders hesitantly, gazing at some trees on the horizon. Their buds were beginning to sprout with the arrival of spring. "He's actually nice to me, unlike the majority of the people at school. He and I are in similar situations as well."

"Yeah, but he-! I mean you don't know about-! Does he ever, I mean-!" the blond kept attempting to start, anger spilling out from his every word. He took in a deep breath and shut his eyes in an effort to calm down and organize his thoughts.

An awkward silence fell over the two of us until he attempted to speak once again. "I have this bad feeling about Neji, Sasuke. He rubs me the wrong way on so many levels. I know you hate me I lecture you about stuff because I'm the idiot who gets into trouble and you're the sensible bastard who always has to find me a way out of my problems, but I just want you to be careful."

I felt annoyance rising up in the back of my mind like a tidal wave, but I chose to be ignorant of it. Naruto was just being protective (in a platonic way) of me as always and was concerned despite the fact there was no reason to be. I gave a curt nod in response, knowing that my irritation may leak through if I were to say anything.

I once again found myself pulled to Naruto's chest, but this time I did not pull away. "Sasuke, I know I'm busy a lot now, but you know I'm always here if you need to talk about anything. Just call and I will drop whatever I am doing and rush over here." He took in a deep breath through his mouth, my onyx hair rustling slightly as the suction from his mouth right about my head moved them. "I miss how close we used to be."

I felt as if my heart had cracked at his words (they sounded so melancholic to my own ears) and squeezed him back. Our embrace was awkward, as our bodies did not fit together all that well and Naruto was a good foot taller than myself, but I hoped he understood that I appreciated his efforts.

After our embrace, Naruto and I said our goodbyes and he took off in his little shitty car (it was so old and rusted that I was surprised it could still function correctly). I watched him leave before returning to the house and Neji's warm body.

After hugging Naruto, it didn't give me the same feeling as it had before his visit.

The day I had to return to school had started out well. I had woken up to birds singing and sun shining through my window, a warm hearty breakfast, and a nice drive. My favorite song had been playing over my stereo, although that could have been due to the fact that I had my mp3 player plugged in, and the convenience store I stopped at on the way had begun to sell my favorite beverage.

When I walked in the building though, my luck had obviously run out.

It seems as if every person on the premises had stopped to stare at me. As I walked to my locker, I watched girls and boys alike stare at me before whispering to their friends and giggling. I was rather confused by the sudden attention I had garnered, but just played it off as some rumor about my family going around again. It was not an uncommon occurrence.

Throughout all my classes the first half of the day, all of my peers continued to act in this manner. Even some of the teachers were giving me dirty looks. I could, at this point, not comprehend the reasoning for giving me this much of a cold shoulder. I could usually piece together their reasoning by this point, but today's was surprisingly difficult.

It was lunch when the shit finally hit the fan. I was sitting in my usual seat- the one in the farthest corner of the cafeteria- contently consuming my sandwich and waiting for Neji when I was approached by several guys. One of them, Naruto's self-proclaimed new best friend Kiba, tossed a bright orange dummy **[2]** towards me.

"Hey, faggot, I heard you like taking things up the ass," he said with a grin, the red triangular tattoos on his face contorting with his movement.

I stared at him blankly for a few moments. My confusion must have been evident after awhile (or he had a very short attention span) because he continued on.

"Nah, we saw that video, you know, the one your buddy Neji sent everyone?"

I felt my heart sputter to a stop before dropping into my stomach. They knew about…. And because of Neji? What the hell? I had never seen the Hyuuga videotaping during intercourse, and wouldn't him doing such a thing cause everyone to hate him too? Was he really that self-sacrificial?

Kiba continued on, ignoring my disheartened look. "How much did you have to pay that slut to fuck you? I bet it wasn't somebody from our school, nobody here is pathetic enough to do that, even with the huge amount of money I bet you paid out." There was chuckling among the group. "_Ugrhn, p-please, please don't stop! Don't hold back any longer, I need you inside of me now! Urgh!"_

A vermillion flush washed over me, from the tip of my ears all the way to my toes- at least that's what if felt like as the brunet continued to mock me. That fucker Neji had screwed me, acted like my friend, just to become more popular. I didn't know what to think. It was so typical and expected of someone, that it was unexpected. I mean, he was even in the same situation as myself!

Naruto had seem through his mirage the whole time,

"You see, I brought you a little present from my house. It's the right shape to stick up your ass, so why don't you just take that and get the fuck out of here. We don't want cock suckers like yourself encroaching on us regular guys territory." Kiba smirked "We don't want the gay to spread."

Despite the tears that were burning in the corners of my eyes and trickling down my face, an insuppressible animosity that I never realized had been fermenting inside of my head burst forward.

"You know what? You're right, I would suck a cock before I'd get anywhere close to some girls private parts! But you know what else? I would much rather is a cocksucker than a douche bag like you! You are a senseless, unintelligent, simple-minded asshole who can't accept anyone for who they are! In fact, hardly anyone at this school can! You call each other sluts, yet there is only a handful of you who still have your virginity! Each and every one of you discriminates against people for stupid petty reasons, like me it was my parents wealth! Well you know what, I'm just going to come out and say it now; that's right, I'm fucking loaded. If I never wanted to get a job and instead decided to mooch off my parents, it wouldn't be a problem!"

I took a deep breath in, and stood up from my seat. I clutched the dummy in my right hand and looked Kiba straight in his dark eyes. "I won't do that though, and in twenty years, when you are living off the welfare system with your seven kids and no job, you will know who to thank for paying the taxes to support your lazy ass!"

Throwing the plastic cylinder on the table with a large bang in an attempt to gain everyone's attention (not that I already hadn't from my uncharacteristically loud ranting), I picked up my backpack and spoke in a strong voice "my name is Sasuke Uchiha, and I'm gay."

I fled from the school after that, tears still streaking down my face. By the time I got home, I would not be surprised if my father and mother had already been alerted of my confession- it was a small town so news would travel fast. I drove very recklessly, but I attributed it to being emotionally unstable, as pathetic as that sounded.

Ignoring my mothers questioning as to why I was home so early, I bolted towards my room and slammed the door shut. With my back against its wooden panels, I sank down and buried my head in my arms. When my father came home, I was so fucked.

Fugaku entered the house in a flurry of curses and bangs three hours later. Bewildering it was not when the first place he headed was straight towards my room.

"Boy, open this door right now! I need to speak with you immediately!"

I sighed solemnly and rose from my position on the floor (I had not moved much, just flopped onto my stomach) while wiping away the ebony locks that had stuck to my forehead and cheeks. I opened the door and gave him an expectant look.

"What is this nonsense I hear about you being," my father paused a moment to allow a look of disgust to envelope his features "a _homosexual_."

I shrugged uncaringly, adjusting my navy t-shirt before responding. "What can I say, I guess I just like dick more than boobs."

Fugaku sputtered and Mikoto- who had scurried up besides him a few minutes prior- turned a few shades paler than she had previously.

"Y-you are a disgrace to the Uchiha name, brat!" he snarled, "What in the hell is wrong with you?"

Still acting nonchalant, I rolled my shoulders back and fixed him with a bored look. "It's just a preference, nothing else. I don't see why it bothers you so much."

"Just a preference' he says! Have I taught you nothing boy?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"Apparently so," I replied. "Are we done here?"

Fugaku turned on his heels, heading down the stairs near my room and into his office. "There will be repercussions for your choices and actions," he growled, disappearing down into the basement. Mother looked like she was about to cry, but gave me a hug anyways.

"No matter what your father does, know that mummy will always love you," she sniffed, following Fugaku's path soon after.

My father informed me, at 11:55 that night after confiscating my laptop and cell phone that I was going to be living with my brother in another state for the rest of my high school career. I was going to be given my college fund, but was not to return to the house ever again unless instructed to do so by either my mother or him. Itachi would arrive in no less than fifteen hours, so I should have all of my belongings packed up by that time.

My sibling, as usual, arrived exactly on time. I had already been booted from the house, and sat in the dog kennels, saying goodbye to my German Shorthair. He greeted me with a light embrace and whispered his love for me (brotherly of course, as he currently had a girlfriend) into my ear. His breath was hot against the side of my face and reminded me all too much of Neji and Naruto.

Naruto.

I still had his phone charger in my possession.

After loading my luggage into Hitachi's rental car, I asked if we had enough time for me to return Naruto's charger (it was not as if I was going to need it anyways, without a phone and all). He gave me a wary look before nodding slowly.

The sky was covered by black, menacing clouds throughout the short drive down our driveway and then up the Uzumaki-Namikaze's, foreshadowing rain. I was only mildly concerned about the prospect of getting rained on while returning the device, but it would not take long, so the chance was slim.

I felt a strange sort of nervousness fill the lungs as I climbed out of the car and towards the front door of the house. It was welcoming enough, with its cheery red paint job and bright yellow door, but it still screamed 'doomsday' to my ears. I noted the multiple cars parked in the yard, probably meaning the football team had come over for Kushina's cooking after practice. The thought made my stomach twist and almost caused me to bolt back to the car, but I held my resolve and kept moving forward.

At the door, my fist froze before knocking. Perhaps I could knock and crush gravel under my foot at the same time, therefore blocking out the sound of the knock and giving me an excuse to just leave it on the stoop. Or maybe I could wait for everyone inside to laugh relatively loud (which was not uncommon) and knock then, also giving me an excuse as to why he would not have to meet Naruto face to face.

No. I needed to do this, to say goodbye no matter how awkward it was going to be.

I bit my lip, unconsciously drawing a droplet of blood, and knocked. There was a lull in the conversation before there was the thumping of someone moving to answer it and it began once again. I prayed silently that it would be my friend that answered it rather than anyone else.

The heavens must have been smiling down on me that day, because it was indeed Naruto's familiar cornflower blue eyes and bright blond hair that appeared from behind the door. I glanced away, as to not see his disgusted look (he couldn't accept me for being gay and never telling him, he would probably just be freaked out and ask me to leave or something) and held out the mess of cords.

"This is yours, thank you for letting me use it, I appreciate it."

"There was silence from the blond and he made no move to take the charger from my trembling hands. After a few seconds, I began to tilt my head back in order to see his face.

If anything, he looked mildly concerned and a little confused by my formality and appearance. "You look tired princess," he stated softly, wiping my bangs from in front of my eyes, "did you sleep at all last night?"

I shook my head slowly and thrust my hands out a little more, as to alert him once more of my reason for being here. Being the moron he was, however, he chose to ignore it.

"Is that Itachi? I thought he was busy with school and couldn't come home! What's up with that?" he glanced down at the mass of wires in my hands and addressed it as an afterthought "and you should keep that for your phone, I have an extra in my room that I've been using."

I sucked at the cut in my lip. I could feel cool drops of rain beginning to drip onto my black shirt. "A-ah, I don't exactly have a cell phone anymore. My father, he took it away yesterday after finding out about the, uh, incident. As for Itachi, he is taking me to the airport."

A look of realization passed over Naruto's features, as if he was just remembering my outburst at school yesterday. He had had to bear witness to it; he had the same lunch period. "Oh. That," he muttered, rubbing at the back of his neck. The rain continued to fall down from the sky, picking up in intensity. "I understand the revocation of your cell phone, well not really because his reasoning is stupid, but why are you going to the airport?"

I practically snorted. The idiot, couldn't he piece two and two together for once? "I'm going to live with Itachi you idiot."

The blond looked horrified "Wh-what? You can't be serious! When are you coming back?"

I gave him a sad smile and turned to look at the horses that resided behind a fence to the left of the house. "I probably won't be back Naruto. In other words, as sappy as it sounds, this is goodbye."

Naruto was stumbling over his words; I could tell he was unsure of what to say. I just continued to gaze out at nothing in particular, shivering slightly as the water from the rain soaked through the material of my shirt.

There was movement from the corner of my eye as Naruto removed his hideously orange sweatshirt and tossed it at me, switching the charger out for it. "You're getting wet, wear that on the plane so you don't catch a cold."

I looked at the thing, realizing I would never desire to own or wear such a thing. I was not going to give it back though, because it was from a man I adored terribly, one whom I would probably never see again. "Ah-a thank you Naruto."

He gave me one of those huge, heart-melting smiles, and I had to look away in order to resist the urge to hug him. Looking back at the car, I could see that Itachi was becoming impatient. Our confrontation would need to come to a close.

"Well," Naruto stated, also seeming to see my siblings' restlessness "I guess this is where we say our farewells then bastard."

I nodded and swallowed thickly. Tears- as usual- were building behind my eyes and I had to blink rapidly in order to hold them back.

A tan hand clutched my chin and angled my head so that we were looking each other in the eyes. "Hey, don't cry princess. I didn't really mean this is farewell forever! It's more of a 'goodbye, I will see you soon' kind of thing! I'm one-hundred percent sure our paths will cross again." Another small smile. "After all, I did proclaim that I was going to be your best friend, right? Best friends just don't let each other go that easily."

I don't know what prompted me to do it, to kiss Naruto, but I did. It wasn't what I expected it to be like at all either (and the situation wasn't favorable either, with Itachi watching from the car and all of the football players lurking in the background of the Uzumaki-Namikaze residence). I was standing on the tips of my toes and Naruto wasn't responding at all and his lips were chapped and it probably looked like I was trying to suck his face off- I really had no experience in the subject of kissing. I tried to channel all the hectic emotions I had been experiencing into that connection; the melancholy, the anxiety, the emptiness. In truth, I just wanted to rip my heart out of my ribcage and hand it to him on a silver platter. He used to claim he could read the organ better than anyone else, so what better going away gift could I give him than my heart?

I pulled away after a few seconds, and there was a tense silence. The blond I adored so much seemed to have perfected his Itachi face (otherwise known as a poker face; we used to pick on Itachi for being so serious all the time and had determined his facial muscles had permanently been frozen in a straight face) and stared right past my head. I don't know what I was expecting, but I felt rather depressed at the lack of a reaction. Still, I did not regret it.

"See you later Naruto Uzumkai, you idiot," I stated lowly and started back towards Itachi and the car.

My brother said nothing as I clambered in the vehicle, as if realizing how emotionally draining the meeting had been. As we pulled away, I could still see Naruto frozen in the threshold of his home.

I pulled on the sweatshirt, sniffing the familiar scent of Naruto as we whizzed past hundreds upon thousands of orange, blue, and red wildflowers that I could see from our driveway. The wheels of the car kicked up small pebbles from the gravel and made clunking noises as they came in contact with the car.

Naruto was right. We had said goodbye, but it sure as hell wasn't for good.

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><p><strong>TBC...<strong>

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><p><strong>AN: Oh man, this thing is almost over and I haven't updated Melodies of Affection since before I started it! Oops...**

**Yes folks, only one chapter left and a possible epilogue (if the readers want it).**

**Thank you all again for your massive support! The authoress adores everyone who reviews, favorites, puts this on their alerts, or even reads it! You are all amazing!**

**To the reviewers! (Skip the italics down to the rest of the note if you wish).**

_: Thank you very much, I aim to please! As for the typos, usually my beta catches them but we have not been on the best terms since the beginning of this tale, hence it usually just be editing it... When you read something you write yourself it becomes tedious (usually I will write the whole thing in a few hours) so I sometimes miss things. I apologize for that. Sasuke is still a big baby in this chapter, but he gets a little better in the next part. I didn't mean to make him cry so much though..._

_Nivell:Thank you! I shall probably start on that after this is done and_ _I have updated my other fics *has been procrastinating in favor of this one*_

_whointheworldwouldbelievethat: Thank you very much! I hope this chapter pleases! Sasuke does always face this problem, doesn't he? Poor guy!_

_.: Yes, poor Sasuke had some issues (as if usual of him). Thank you!_

_Emerald Time: I thank you for your being so open to the pairing seme/uke change! I used to only read/write SasuNaru, but then I read the work of one glorious author who wrote NaruSasu and my whole outlook changed!_

_Dragon77: One update coming right up!_

_Germainia99: I hope you enjoy this update! Thank you!_

_RyanTyler2294: Here is your update! Thank you very much!_

_D: Thank you so very much and I hope you enjoy this update!_

**I hope you all will continue to read until the end, we are close now folks! I would love if you had time to drop a review,** **the authoress is easily swayed by your feedback! Flames, as usual, as accepted too!**

P.S Hahaha, ... Itachi, you just crack me up.


	4. Part 4

**Rural Mentality [4/4]**

**Pairing: Narusasu**

**Rating: T or M (due to last chapter)  
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**Disc****laimer: I do not own the series Naurto, or claim any rights to the characters. The plot of this, however, is my own.**

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><p>Now that I'm 25, looking back in retrospect, I realize how foolish I was as an adolescent.<p>

It has been eight (long and lonely) years from the day I had been booted from my home in that rural community. For the last half of my junior year, I had found that I was spiraling into some strange sort of depression. I never found myself to be worthless, but I did believe that life was some sort of joke that I was left out of. After all, how could everyone be so mirthful when there were terrible things happening right outside their doors? At this point, all I wished to do be swallowed up by my bed and never face the sunlight again.

My brother, being the vigilant person he was, took notice of my abjectness almost immediately. He had been rather delicate when dealing with me as of late, seeming almost wary, like if he took one misstep I would shatter into a million little shards. College and social life (his girlfriend in particular because it was the first female that he had taken even a smidge of romantic interest in) however, took up much of his time so we rarely sat down to talk about things. Itachi was concerned, but had enough on his plate so that I was put on the back burner. I didn't really mind.

I suppose it was during my 'dark days' as I refer to them, that I became so obsessed with every sort of mathematics. As strange as it sounds, I found that numbers were easier to deal with than my life at the time; every problem had a single answer in easy-to-read, black and white text. There was no fine print, no confusion, and definitely no feelings involved- the last reason probably being why I had never divulged too deeply into literary works. Statistics soon followed, and by that summer I found myself sneaking away with my brothers business textbooks when he was looking the other way (it was not as if he minded anyways).

Senior year was uneventful. The first half was spent filing out college applications, writing essays and running off caffeinated drinks in order to stay awake. Itachi aided me in the whole process, correcting my work and shoving me off my chair whenever I fell asleep drooling on the keyboard of his laptop (he became so sick of the latter happening that he once had one of his sickening friends bring over a weasel from the animal reserve that he worked at and stuck the damn thing down my shirt). Some of the universities I applied for, I was almost positive they were out of my league. Itachi had been accepted into them, but he had practically been involved (and president of) most of the activities in his high school and had the highest G.P.A. of his graduating class. I, on the other hand, had been too busy wallowing in my depression to join anything extracurricular and my grades were while not exactly lacking, not as excellent as my brothers' either. He had just given me one of those half-smiles he does and stated that it was always better to give it a shot than to just give up.

I actually made a few friends during that final year in high school, but we drifted apart afterwards. It was nice to have people to hang around with instead of eating lunch everyday. People were much more accepting towards my sexual orientation in that school and not once did it become an issue. This was quite a relief.

Mother and father showed up when spring of that year came around in order to attend Itachi's graduation from college. Of course I had attended as well, and I have to say it was one of the most awkward and uncomfortable situations I had ever experienced. Mikoto had chosen to sit somewhat close to me- who was sitting next to some of my sibling's friends who were younger than him- and father had followed begrudgingly. They were a rather strange and rowdy bunch and had decided to bring alcohol to drink 'during the boring parts' as they had phrased it. To say it in short, the group of them had gotten absolutely smashed. When it was my brother's turn to get his diploma, they had gone ape shit. They were whooping and screaming and one (some kid in a orange mask who called himself Tobi and apparently had dissociated identity disorder) spilled their booze and popcorn all over Fugaku's head. Deidara, the friend Itachi had informed me so many years prior who shared my sexual preference, in his drunken stupor thought that it would be a bright idea to French kiss me. Exactly at the point in which my father turned to chastise Tobi.

Guess who wasn't invited to Itachi's graduation dinner that night.

Also guess whose parents also didn't show up at their high school graduation.

I wasn't surprised, per se, as father had made it rather clear that he had no intentions of being a part of my life, but it still hurt me somewhere deep inside the chambers of my heart. There had been some little sliver of hope that had stayed wedged in a crevice in my chest and had avoided the hurricane of hurt feelings that had rushed through, but it had been washed away now. Realizing your father really did not want you, and that your mother, although had nothing against you as a person, would go along with it just to stop the endless quarreling that they as a couple had been doing. It hurt much more than it fucking should have.

I was accepted into a stunning university, surprisingly enough (I swear Itachi had something to do with it because he was looking suspiciously calm when I received the acceptance letter), and it was no surprise I decided to major in business. During my expanse of time it took to gain my four-year diploma, I made a few friends. Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo were all rather strange in their own way, as was I, so we got along rather well. None of them had any issue with me being gay- it really wasn't an issue for most of the country, there were just a few hick places like my home town that had any problem with it- although Karin and Suigestu are straight and I am almost sure Juugo is asexual.

Staying together when we entered the workforce wasn't our chief objective, but we all ended up in the same company nonetheless. Orochimaru, our boss and head of one of the leading corporations in producing state-of-the-art medical supplies and equipment (as we held business diplomas, it is rather obvious that we were working on the corporate side of things) was… _is_ a rather strange individual. The man has the palest skin, thickest black hair, and these eerie golden eyes that seem to follow your ever move. All he ever seems to do- I know it is untrue- is sit behind this giant mahogany desk he has inside his office and drink some sort of beverage while watching his pet snake, Manda.

When we first started, none of us had ever seen Orochimaru. At our graduation, his right-hand man, Kaput, had shown up in order to cordially invite us to work for his boss. It was a little sketchy, as job opportunities are not usually served on a silver platters, but none of us were ones to deny. The economy had become rather messy, and employment prospects were hard to come by (plus, the salaries offered were rather insane for starting positions).

The few first weeks were enjoyable, if not a little bland. Days were usually spent chatting with interns by the water cooler (they had fabricated some of the most intricate and stunning tales of how Orochimaru shredded up former employees and fed them to Manda) or doing some sort of busywork. At night, Suigetsu, Karin, Juugo, and myself would go out for drinks and make a toast to how exceptionally it was going at work.

One day in particular, however, our schedule was altered a bit. While I still received the same amount of simple work- at least in my mind, but perhaps that's just the Uchiha in me talking- my co-workers seemed to have more dished out on their plate. I was the only one able to speak with the group that milled around the dispensers. A brunet man was explaining his theory on how the common perception of Kaput being Orochimaru's fuck toy had come to be when the man in question arrived on the scene. The rest of the group had quieted down instantly, and the speaker and scuttled off within moments in an attempt to pass the blame onto some other poor soul. Seemingly unfazed, maybe he had just become used to the gossip that traveled about because he was always personally dealing with our boss, Kabuto had just adjusted his wire framed glasses and motioned for me to follow him.

The walk and elevator ride to Orochimaru office was tedious and nerve-wracking. Neither of us spoke (myself because I'm antisocial and Kabuto because, although we are good friends now, we did not know each other then and he is rather shy) and the tension on my side seemed palpable with a knife.

I was herded into a room by the silver-haired man who quickly shut the door behind us with a soft click and took his place to the right side of Orochimaru's desk. The snake took his sweet time looking me over with his feline-esque eyes, not muttering a single word. Standing as straight and still as physically possible, I was sweating bullets during this period.

When several minutes had elapsed, the pale man had stood and slowly made his way towards me. A cold palm- much like my mothers had been, but bonier- was pressed to my cheek as Orochimaru attempted to make eye contact with me. Being the type of individual I was, I rarely partook in such an act (I was so used to the scorning glares of others that the action of avoiding such became a habit) and was busy staring out of the plate-glass windows of the office. Annoyance must have filtered across his features, or at least in his mind, because the older man used his other hand in order to tip my chin up to face him.

"Sasuke," he stated my name in a raspy voice. With his skin pressed against my own, I could smell the faint scent of fruity body wash that radiated from his flesh and clothing. "I like you."

I swallowed hard before nodding curtly and muttering a quick 'thank you, sir' in reply. Orochimaru gently pressed my chin to the left, then the right (causing my entire head to shift as a reaction). Removing his fingers, he proceeded to move both hands to rest on my suit-jacket clad shoulders.

"I very much like you Sasuke," he said with a soft- but admittedly rather creepy- smile "and I think you will do great things for my company."

Bobbing my head for a second time in our short and somewhat one-sided conversation, I watched warily as he stepped back and returned to his mahogany desk. Several sentences were exchanged with Kabuto before he returned to doing whatever he had been doing prior to our meeting. With a small hand motion, the silver-haired man directed me to exit the room and followed mere inches behind.

The trek back to my cubicle was much like the one previously taken to go to speak with Orochimaru; silent and uneventful. I was caught up in waves of confusion and Kabuto was naturally quiet. When I was back seated in my cheap swivel chair with jacket off and sleeves rolled up (I may have been freakishly clean and obsessive about self-grooming, but all of the suits I owned had been passed down to me from Itachi as I was not well-off at the time, therefore meaning they were a wee bit too large for my stature) I turned back to my escort who had yet to depart.

", it is quite rare for Orochimaru to take such an interest in an employee, especially one that is so novice. It would be in your best interest to not fall below the expectations he has set for you," he said, almost robotically. "What this foreshadows I am in no position to say, but with time you should be enlightened to just how fortunate you are."

He left following this peculiar speech, leaving a much more confused me in his wake.

Although Suitgetsu and Karin were rather concerned with my encounter with our boss when I informed them that night during drinks- Juugo always seemed to be relatively unconcerned with most subjects unless they included animals or one of his few friends being harmed in some way- but nothing much changed. I did end up receiving several promotions and Orochimaru, with Kabuto in tow, would sometimes visit me at my station and make some remark on how prodigal and remarkable I was. Other than that, it stayed the same.

It was not my performance in my profession that caused me to realize my absolute stupidity as a child and teen. What caused me to realize such was when I came to terms with my inability to move on from Naruto. Of course with the raging hormones and sexual desires of a young adult I had been involved in several one-night stands and a handful of relationships, but none of them had ever compared to the blond idiot Whenever I got with a guy, I tended to compare their characteristics with those of my previous best friend. _'He had lower morals, is more cleanly, has too much green in his eyes.' _Even in my most serious that lasted over a year, I was never able to get the Uzumaki-Namikaze out of my head.

That had actually been the main reason as to why my last boyfriend had walked out. I had still been in love with somebody else. I had argued for hours with him, insisting it had been a false accusation and that there was not another soul that made my heart beat as fast or as hard as his. The man had still walked out though, and after three pints of ice cream and watching sappy movies with my brother's fiancée on the couch (she is really comes down from her usual state of hyperactivity and becomes a compassionate woman when the time calls for it) I realized I had to cease living in my glass bubble of denial. I was still in love with Naruto.

It could almost be considered common knowledge that the fates never side with me because of all of the shit that occurred in regards to my adolescence. In this case, it is no different. Seeing the blond on the street was almost improbable- he had always said the country was his home and if he was forced out of our rural little town he would just move to another- and from what I had gathered from Hitachi's conversation with our parents, the Uzumaki-Namikaze had moved from the area soon after Naruto's graduation from high school. Even if none of this were true, Naruto had seemed to hold no feelings towards individuals who shared his sex. He was as straight as a ruler.

With that in mind, along with the fact that it seemed impossible that I would ever get over the man, I came to a realization.

I would most likely die alone.

Okay, maybe that was a bit of an over-exaggeration, as I would always have my sibling, his wife, and any nieces or nephew's they would give me along with my friends who considered me part of their family. Each one would allow me to live with them in their home in a blink of an eye if I requested to do so, but it would be quite awkward (even if you love an individual to death, it is strange to have them live with your immediate family; they are almost always given the 'creepy Uncle Kyle' **[1]** reputation) for everyone involved. I may have become a little callous over the years, but I could not stand putting the few individuals who were truly concerned with my well being in such a situation.

With that said, having my younger relatives find me dead on the floor in a house much larger than one would or could ever need- which with the way my career had been going, looks like something I may be able to have- was almost tragic. I bet my corpse would be covered in cat fur too, because what is a lonely old man without his cats? Then nobody would want to touch it because they think I'm disgusting so they would try to get me out of there using a wheel barrow or-

Well shit.

* * *

><p><strong>To: Uchiha Sasuke <strong>

**From: Uchiha Itachi **

**January 16; 17:24:04**

**Message: Remember dinner at 7:00 tonight. Please actually show up today; I know you consider me a nuisance a majority of the time, but I am just worried about you.**

Scoffing softly to myself, I jabbed the sleep button on the top of my Smartphone and slipped it back into the pocket of my jacket. My brother wasn't fooling anyone with his text, he may have been concerned about me, but the real reason he longed for me to come over so was that he was able to slip away from his wife for a few moments. While he loved her to death- we really both did, but me in a more brotherly kind of way- the hormones from carrying their current child were driving her insane. While this did not directly affect Itachi, it caused the woman to become rather emotional and more than a little clingy. If I were around, it was much more likely she would spend time around me, giving him a desperately needed reverie.

What a con artist.

I was currently among the mass of people mobbing the streets during the daily commute home. While it was snowing (and rather hard at that), it did not deter people from walking to their residence rather than taking their cars or renting a taxi; the city was compact, so the distance between the average apartment or house and the work building was less than ten minutes. Automobiles and taxis were much more expensive, and the public transportation was rather lacking, so most just chose to walk home and save a few bucks in the process. This, of course, meant that I was rarely alone during my daily strolls.

Areas in which had an excessive density of people packed in a tiny space, like the sidewalks during this time, still made me rather antsy. In attempt to drown out all of the joyful chattering of friends or serious conversations occurring over mobile phones, I had jammed the buds of my mp3 player into my ears and proceeded to crank the volume up to a rather high level.

As was usual of my trek, my mind wandered from subject to subject. The themes of these little daydreams were never really connected (because the reason the value of the company stock increasing the last quarter and pondering why in the hell my parents had named my sibling 'weasel' of all things were probably not related), but usually were at least mildly entertaining. Today, however, I was taking it a bit more seriously.

Another one of my co-worker, whose name I cannot remember, had asked me out on a date during lunch. Typically, I immediately deny their request, knowing that it would just end up needlessly hurting both of us, but today the circumstances were a bit altered. The man had the brightest blond hair that I had gazed upon in years, and eyes with different shades of green organized in a way that made them seem almost like a shade of dark blue.

He looked like Naruto. He may not have acted like the idiotic blond boy who had been, as tacky as it sounds, the sunshine of my life as a child and teenager, but if I tilted my head a bit to the right and used my imagination a bit, the man could easily pass for him. Perhaps moving on wasn't impossible.

Many would look upon me as greedy for thinking in this way, but did it really matter? Maybe Itachi would be able to tell that I was lying- due to the fact we had lived together for years- both to myself and the other man, but my deception skills were honed well. It was be almost impossible to see to anyone else, or at least I hoped. Being a greedy son of a bitch took talent, talent I believe I possessed.

Glancing over to my left, I could see a hoard of people on the other side of the street that were packed even more tightly than those on my own. Beyond their squirming bodies, there was a playground built for the children in the area. There were few who actually lived in this part of town (it was not shabby, but not a family friendly neighborhood by any stretch of the imagination either), but the city had extra money to spend and chose to build the structure here.

Today, however, there seems to be a man of my stature, possibly a few inches taller, playing with a small child. Their forms are hard to make out, but the coat the man is wearing seems to be of an electric orange color with patches of black on the sleeves. A mop of bright blond, unruly hair rests upon his head. I furl my top lip and wrinkle my nose at his choice in fashion. Who in the hell would wear ugly crap like that? The only person I ever met with a wardrobe like that would be-

I abruptly freeze in place and feel my breath catch.

Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto.

Quickly muttering an apology to the irritated woman who ran into my back- she was still cursing me out as I scurried away- I dodged my way through the crowd and managed to cross the street within the ten seconds that were left on the countdown of the crosswalk. My stomach churns with some sick feeling that is unable to be expressed with words; it is pleasant, yet makes nauseating at the same time. It's as if the butterflies that resided there from my youth have been mutated into creatures that claw at my insides, but soothe with some type or venom at the same time.

The logical side of my brain is screaming at me to just turn around and go home, despite the fact that it would make me look a little insane to those who had previously viewed my spectacle. There had to be tons of blond-haired men who wore orange in the world; the chance of it being the one I oh-so desire was slim to none. Plus, even it ends up being Naruto, who is the child that he is with? What if he had gone on to get married and already had a family started? The disappointment would be suffocating.

My heart, despite being somewhat wary, seems to be ignoring the flashing red lights of my mind. It urges me to go forward because it seems to know I would regret not at least checking the scene. It would be one of the most painful things to see that he had moved on, but it would remorse is always worse than that. Besides, everything is still a 'what if' rather than a 'what is' so anything could be possible. Miracles can occur.

Besides, if worst comes to worst, I can always go to that convenience store two blocks away and purchase enough ice cream to gorge myself for the whole weekend, right?

Bursting through a small circle of teenagers- who all glare at me for intruding on whatever sketchy activity they had been partaking in- I find that I am standing in front of the recreational area. Within moments, I feel a heavy seed of disappointment germinate in my gut. Not a soul is in sight. The swings blow gently due to the wind, and a few loose snow particles fly across the ground.

Maybe I am losing it; my diluted mind has begun to spin fake mirages of my lost crush in random places around the town. Next I may see a naked azure-eyed boy in my shower or on my desk or in my car. Getting out of town for a little while may be my best bet to put an end to this, Orochimaru had offered me a high position at a location located in a more tropical area.

Suddenly, there is a small lump of that crashes into my legs and latches on as if it's life depended on it. We teeter back and forth for a few moments as I attempt to catch my balance, but straighten up immediately after.

When I place my gloved hand on what I believe to be a head, the little bundle looks up at me with the lightest shade of emerald eyes I have ever seen in my life. It had bubble-gum pink hair with thick eyebrows that cover almost a fourth of the child's forehead. It's adorable, but in a very peculiar way.

"Naoki, what in the world were you thinking boo?" a voice questions, obviously belonging to a man. It's not too squeaky, but not too deep either; a perfect pitch.

The individual from before, the one who I had spotted from twenty feet away, jogs up to us and squats down to make eye contact with the little boy. "How many times do I need to tell you not to run off like that? I mean, I can understand that you are really excited but is it really necessary to-"

My heart is pounding in my chest so hard that I'm afraid it's going to crush my ribcage and burst out of my chest. I had gotten only a mere glance at the persons face, and while his voice may have changed, those cornflower-blue eyes couldn't be mistaken for anyone else's. I had somehow gotten lucky and found the one out of a million. Naruto.

"-now I want you to apologize to the nice man that you ran into! You are so incredibly lucky he is so generous and didn't whack you like the woman you barreled into before!"

I am rather distracted by the euphoria that seemed to gush through my veins at the sudden appearance of the man, but I still watch as the child supposedly named Naoki looked up at me with glossy eyes. This occurs for few seconds before he spins on his heels and buried his face into the monstrosity that was Naruto's jacket.

The blond sighs and attempted to pry him off. "He isn't scary boo, this is very easy to do! Just look him in the eye and say-"

The Uzumaki-Namikaze lifts his head and meets my gaze with his own. There is an awkward pause in which time seems to slow down; everyone around us keeps moving, but we are just stuck. For a few moments, I am doubtful he even remembers who I am, but then a single name slips past his pink lips.

"Sasuke."

Within seconds, Naruto has me pressed to his chest, the child squeezed awkwardly in between us. A tingling feeling makes me ears ring and I can practically feel the blood rushing to my face. He pulls back only slightly in order to allow himself room to babble.

"Oh my god, Uchiha Sasuke it is really you! I thought you were gone forever, and like, I- I really miss you man! Where have you been, why didn't you ever try to contact me? I guess it would be kind of hard, seeing as you didn't have a cell phone for awhile there, I assume you have one now, and I got a new number awhile after you left, but still! Oh my god, I can't believe we actually ran into each other, this is so amazing! Like I said before, I really missed you, how have you been? I-I I'm rambling here but I'm so happy you don't even know, and you know wha-"

"Mom!" the child wrapped in Naruto's squeals, thrusting his chubby arms outwards towards the playground. Both of us adults glance over to see a slim woman with hair the same shade as the toddler, looking around rather confused before turning towards the sound of what I assume to be her child. Naoki squirms in the blond's arms in attempt to get down and run to his mother.

Naruto seems to be rather displeased by the turn of events and scowls slightly. "Jeez, boo can't you wait a few seconds?" He grunts- something that makes a small shiver run up my spine- and fails in repositioning the pinkette.

With a sigh, he turns to address me. "Hey, princess- you don't care if I call you that do you, the stick hasn't gotten shoved up your ass any farther has it- I'm going to go give him back to his ma. Wait here. Don't go anywhere; I promise I will be right back, and then we can go to dinner or somethin' okay?"

I nod dubiously as he removes his hand and backs away slowly, not breaking our gaze. He shoots me one of those smiles that used to- _still_ makes my heart melt as he turns and jogs over to the woman now only a few feet away.

Even if that female does end up being his wife, it will be okay. Just being in Naruto's life will be enough to keep me feeling alive and happy.

* * *

><p>We end up going to a ramen place for dinner (he had allowed me to choose, as he did not know the neighborhood well) as I could easily recall the fact that his favorite food was such. A waitress led us to a rather secluded location despite the fact it was busy, and took our orders soon after. We chatted until our food arrived, catching up on major events in our lives and how our families- in my case just Itachi and his wife- had been doing.<p>

Naruto is in his last year of veterinarian school currently, having moved (temporarily) to the city to attend one of the best schools for the profession. It had been his dream since childhood, and he was willing to give up a few years of living in the country to become the best doctor for pets he could be.

I meekly explain my strange addiction to business that came to light during the last year of high school, and my current job. The Uzumaki-Namikaze laughs and tells me I have a job perfect for a bastard like myself, to which I just grumble and flick a packet of salt at him. When I come to my strange relationship with Orochimaru, however, his mood seems to darken a little. He warns me to be careful of, in his words 'creeps who prey on their pretty little employees to relieve sexual tension,' and I can't help but be a little flustered. For a whole five minutes after I have to repeat the phrase 'it's only platonic' in order to stop the butterflies (which had somehow returned to normal from their mutated state) that crash into the lining of my stomach.

Our food arrives and we fall into a comfortable silence. He seems to be inhaling his noodles, while I just stir them around in my coral-colored bowl with my chopsticks- I feel as if I may vomit if I eat anything from nerves.

"So, Naoki is a cute little one," I murmur softly, bringing up a topic that had been stabbing at my brain since we had met a few hours prior. Although I had somewhat accepted the idea that I no longer had a chance with the blond due to his wife and child, I was still rather curious as to their history.

Naruto looks up at me, noodles hanging out of his mouth and his grins slightly. "Yeah, the little boo is pretty great. A little on the wild side and kind of hard to control at times, but I love him a ton! He's got a real strong arm, just like his mom Sakura!"

I take a sip out of my glass of water before questioning him about how he and the woman had met.

"Ah, she and I went to college together before we split off and went to our specialty schools, she's a doctor ya' know," he responds, taking another bite and swallowing. "She was a senior when I was just a mere freshman, but we hit it off right away due to our friendship with our one professor Hatake Kakashi. We used to have so much hangin' out together in his apartment. Both of us, Sakura and I didn't have much money, but Kakashi said if we cooked for him he would buy the groceries and let us eat too. I wasn't a good chef, but Sakura was so I usually just pretended to help so I could eat too; neither ever said anything."

I nod slowly as he took a big gulp of his water. "So then when did you guys tie the knot, before or after your graduated from regular college?"

Naruto chokes on his drink, turning to the side and coughing harshly into his arm before laughing a little. "Bastard, I'm not married to Sakura! She is married to this dude named Lee; I'm just Naoki's godfather! Lee is on a business trip with his mentor Might Guy here, so we all decided to come here as a little vacation!" He wipes at his eyes with the palms of his hands before grinning at me "I guess I could see how you could see it as that though, although I wouldn't understand why Anomie would have such bushy eyebrows cause' mine are definitely not that furry."

I awkwardly clear my throat and utter an apology, feeling my cheeks heat up once again. Tugging off my heavy winter coat (which I had yet to take off for a reason unknown to me) I pull down the hoodie I am wearing underneath and return to stirring absentmindedly at my ramen.

Thirty seconds passed in which I noted Naruto had stopped consuming his favorite food, and uncommon action. Glancing up, I see that his eyes are ablaze with some sort of enjoyment or excitement or… possibly passion or lust?

"You still have that old thing?" he asks, cerulean eyes never leaving my own. I glance down only to notice I am dressed in the orange hoodie he had given me back in our junior year of high school. A dab of pale pink must have dabbed my facial features again (I had honestly not even remembered that my attire for casual Friday at work had included it) because Naruto dropped his chopsticks to lean over the table and press one of his hands to my cheek.

"You know, I think you looks really nice in orange, especially when you wear something that is mine in the color orange."

I can only assume the coloring of my face deepens by a few shades because I am much too focused on the rough thumb gently rubbing against my right cheek. It is warm and the action fills me with a strange sort of pleasure.

"Is it okay if I kiss you now Sas?" he inquires, not stopping to wait for my answer as he pressed his pink lips to my own.

This kiss seems ten thousand times better than the first one we shared. For one, we are actually both contributing to it, and both of us are more experienced and the feeling of adoration is (hopefully mutual). Naruto has snaked one arm around my head in order to support my neck and pull me closer to him, making the position more comfortable for the both of us. A rough tongue had forced its way into my mouth and I can taste his pork ramen mixed with whatever soda his had ordered. His lips feel silky and soft against my own and I swear I have died and gone to heaven.

We pull away only because my phone begins to vibrate on the table, signaling the fact that I have a new message. A string of salvia connects our mouths for a few moments before Naruto swats it away with a smile. I send him an equally bright one back as I pick up the device from the table and read the text.

"Who is it from?" he asks, returning to the act of slurping at his ramen.

I roll my eyes at my brothers irate message, quickly typing a snarky reply and muttering "It's just Itachi, I was supposed to go eat dinner with him and his wife but I ran into you and didn't alert him of my change of plans."

Pausing in the act of consuming his last bite, the slightly taller male gives me a concerned look "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to take you away from your family tonight, I know Itachi is the only one who really talks to you anymore and-"

"It's fine, really, he will get over it soon enough," I reply, reaching over the table to squeeze his hand in a comforting way. "Just finish eating your ramen idiot."

He huffs and rips his hand away, "fine, you know what bastard, I will! But not because you told me to, only because I want to."

I smirk back. "Of course Naruto."

* * *

><p>After dinner, I insisted Naruto return to my apartment for an alcoholic beverage or two. We ended up playing the 'I have never' drinking game and partook in some rather adult-like activities<p>

Sex with Naruto was much different than with anyone else, even if he was done while buzzed. He was so passionate in every movement and was always careful to not do anything that was not enjoyable for the both of us. I acted as if his little proclamation of love for me after we had both climaxed was nothing but annoying, but I have a feeling that he could easily see through my façade. After all, he was- _has been_ my best friend for years.

I don't know where we will go from here, whether we will be together for forever and always, or if something will come between us. I'm not sure if we will move to the country or stay in the city. It is unclear if we will adopt children, have a surrogate mother, or if we will be happy with a grand total of zero kids.

At this moment, there are only two things I am certain of; one, I am quite content here draped over Naruto's exposed and muscles chest with his arm wrapped around my waist and his stubble poking into the side of my neck from his face. Two, I know that while we may never go back to that gravel road from our childhood again- I heard my parents actually had the things blacktopped- we do not need it either. Naruto and I have been constructing our own road, carving our own destinies since we first met. Who needs a bunch of rocks and dirt when you have a road paved with dreams, love, and friendship instead?

* * *

><p><strong>END<strong>

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><p><strong>[1]: 'Creepy Uncle Kyle' refers to one of those people who isn't related to the family, but everyone insists you call them 'Uncle so-and-so.' I find this strange. In this case, I guess it refers to a relative that hangs around too much too.<br>**

**A/N:Yes my lovely readers, this tale has come to a close. I'm so sorry about the tacky ending. It sounded much better in my head than it looks on Word XD. Writing this not in the past was kind of difficult after the first three parts. I had to go back and change it a few times because I went back to writing in the past tense.  
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**As for who Itachi's wife is, I really don't know. I always thought of her as an OC (despite the fact I tend to try to not use them in stories I post often because I do not usually like read about them)****, but I guess she can be whoever you want. Just not Sakura or Karin because they are used as other parts in this story.**

**I love you all once again. All the reviews and favs and alerts this got just amazes me because I honestly think it's written poorly. I'm planning on going through and editing the mistakes out at some point... just not now. THANK YOU ALL WHO READ, REVIEW, FAV, BOOKMARK, REVIEW, AND ADD TO YOUR ALERTS!  
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**To my reviewers from last chapter (Skip if you wish):**

_enslavedRei- Thank you very much! This is actually part four, the epilogue is will only be written/released if the readers want it._

_LovelessAddiction- Aww I'm sorry... Thank you though!_

_snowblinded- Thank you so very much! I just noticed how people tend to, at least where I used to live, say mean stuff all the time to people who were wealthier than everyone else, even if their parents worked super hard for it._

_KaoticLoveStory- Your review made me smile (that isn't meant to sound cruel, I just am ecstatic it was sad, because honestly thought I did a terrible job is making people feel sympathetic for the character). Final chapter is up now, hope you enjoyed!_

_yaoi148- Thank you! Yes, poor Sasuke!_

_moopad- Thank you very much! I love your usename by the way, made me smile._

_Nivell- Neji is a jerk in this, but i actually do like him as a character! It is messed up though._

_Dragon77- Thank you! one update coming right up!_

_Ellisama- Sadly, I think Sasuke scared Fugaku away for good, but I have a premonition Mikoto would come back eventually. As for Neji, I never really state what happens to him, so I guess I will leave it up to the reader. I suppose if I were to write it though, I feel like Naruto would have been the one to point out the question of how he got the tape. No ItaSasu in this though XD, Itachi is straight in this I guess because I was trying to focus more on Naruto and Sasuke's relationship. Mel. Sus. I am hoping to update as soon as I get a spare moment/finish this up. I love rambling, I have a habit of doing so myself! Thank you for taking the time to write a review by the way!  
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_Akira Nishikawa- Update given! Yes, Sasuke gets a better life now. Thank you for the review!_

_whointheworldwouldbelievethat- Thank you! Here is the update!_

_Keeper of the Times- Aw I appreciate that you took the time to read then and I'm glad you enjoy it! Thank you very much!_

_homogeneous catalyst- Thank you very much!_

_mochiusagi- Naru and Sasu met again! I hope you liked the update and thank you for reviewing!_

_StoriesILike- Yeah, Neji is a jerk in this! I guess I didn't write that because I was either rushing or just hadn't though of it at the time! I doubt they would have believed him anyways though, because Neji was their "homeboy" by then. Thank you for the review!_

_BlueOrchid13- Aww, I hope this lived up to expectations (or at least half of what was expected). Thank you for the review!_

**I would love you guys to drop me a review/critique on this and what you thought; it would make me extremely happy! Flames are accepted as is usual and will be used to create a fire to roast marshmallows!**

**I guess I will end with asking if you want an epilogue or not? I said it would have 4 parts but if you want or do not want one last chapter (most likely containing smut, unless everyone is against it) let me know! I don't want to overkill this you know?**

**p.s. You should look out for a new NaruSasu I'm coming out with soon! I would love if you all read it!**

**~SGL  
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****_Edit 4/22/12: Special thanks to Hollymist to enlightening me on my mix up with Sakura! I really do appreciate when people alert me of super huge plot holes like that, so if anyone else sees one just let me know so I can fix it asap!  
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